Wiring a 1995 Chevy 1500 for Trailer Brakes

Expert Reply:

As a first step, you would need to select a brake controller. I would recommend the Tekonsha Prodigy P2, part # 90885.

Most of the Chevy trucks of that era had a blue and an orange or red wire ran along the frame rail for installing the controller. At the rear of the vehicle, they usually terminate on the end of the drivers side frame rail or above the spare tire. In the engine bay, the other end is located under the brake booster. The wires are wrapped in electrical tape, and can be a bit hard to locate. (See the video I have linked to for more details). The red or orange wire supplies 12-volt power to the trailer connector for any trailer mounted accessories that might require it. Attach this wire as shown in the video.

You will need either a 6-way (part # 37175) or 7-way (part # 37185) adapter. If your truck already has the 4-pole connector, the existing connector would plug into the adapter. If you do not have an existing 4-pole, cut the connector off of the adapter and wire as shown in the video.

The controller itself would mount to the underside of the dash, usually to the right of the steering column within easy reach of the driver. The black wire from the controller would run through the firewall to the positive battery terminal via a 30 amp inline breaker, part # 38630. The white wire would attach to the negative battery terminal and the blue wire would attach to the blue wire located under the brake booster in the engine compartment. The red wire would access the brake stoplight signal. The brake stoplight switch is difficult to reach in the mid to late 1990s Chevy trucks, because the steering column is in the way. You can find this circuit in the main wiring harness as shown in the video, using a circuit tester like part # 3808 to locate the white wire that only shows voltage when the brake pedal is pressed. Or, take a look at the fuse/relay block under the dash. If you have a spade terminal location that says NAT under it (there might be more than one), try using your tester on it while pressing the brake pedal. If this terminal shows voltage when the pedal is pressed, you can place a spade terminal on the end of that red brake controller wire and plug it in there.

expert reply by: Mike